JAY JAY POV
AT ARIES WEDDING
I stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting the straps of my navy dress. It was simple, elegant, and didn't scream for attention, which was exactly what I wanted. I didn't want to be a distraction; I just wanted to survive the night without my head exploding from another wave of déjà vu.
"Ready, Luna?" Kuya Luan called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yes!" I shouted back, grabbing my clutch and taking one last look at my reflection.
I made my way down the grand staircase, the heels of my shoes clicking against the marble. Luan was waiting for me, looking sharp and incredibly lethal in a black tailored tuxedo. He looked like he was attending a funeral for his enemies rather than a wedding for the Fernandez family. His face was a mask of cold, unyielding stone.
"Let's go then," Kuya said, his voice flat as he checked his watch.
I reached out and hooked my arm into his, giving him a playful nudge. "Kuya, please smile. It won't hurt you, I promise. You look like you're about to declare war on the buffet table."
Luan didn't even crack a grin. He just patted my hand, his grip firm. "In our world, Luna, a smile is a weakness. And today, I need to stay strong."
Overdramatic much?
"It's a wedding, not a battlefield!" I huffed as we walked toward the car.
We reached the venue
We went inside, and I spotted a familiar face near the front.
"Hi!" I said, approaching Angelo.
"Hi, Jay," Angelo replied. His voice was warm, but his eyes were fixed on Luan with an intensity that could melt steel.
"Luan," Angelo said, stepping forward to shake hands with Kuya. The air between them was so thick with tension you could probably cut it with a butter knife. They looked like two lions acknowledging each other before a fight.
I looked at them, then at the beautiful sprawling hall. My social butterfly wings were starting to itch. This place was too gorgeous to just stand in one spot.
"Kuya, you two catch up. I will wander around," I said, already stepping away.
"Luna!" Kuya called out, his protective-mode alarm bells clearly ringing.
I turned back and gave him my most convincing puppy-dog pout. "Please, please, Kuya. I'll just be right over there looking at the flowers. I won't start any trouble, I promise!"
He let out a long, weary sigh, the kind he usually saves for when I accidentally break something expensive. "Fine. But don't get lost, please. Stay within my line of sight as much as possible."
He leaned down and kissed my forehead, a gesture so sweet it almost made me forget how annoying his rules were. I beamed at him, gave a quick wave to Angelo, and headed deeper into the hall.
It was amazing. The decorations were top-tier—thousands of white roses, crystal chandeliers that looked like frozen stars, and enough silk to clothe a small country. Everything looked like a dream.
I leaned against a marble pillar, just taking it all in.
"Jay-jay... I mean, Luna," one girl said. She had bright ginger hair and a face that looked like it belonged in a high-end fashion magazine.
I smiled, feeling a bit of relief that I actually recognized her—well, sort of. "Hi! You must be Rakki, right?"
Her eyes went wide, instantly filling with a desperate, glowing hope. "You... you remember me?" she asked, her voice trembling.
I laughed, shaking my head. "Of course I do! Ci-N is my intern, remember? He talks about you 24/7. Seriously, I think he has a lung dedicated just to breathing your name. He's shown me your picture like a hundred times already!"
The hope in her eyes flickered for a second, replaced by a soft, bittersweet smile. "Oh. Right. The intern."
"Jay, you're here!" another voice called out. It was Grace. She looked blooming, standing there with the same gentle aura I'd seen at the park.
"Hi!" I chirped, giving her a small wave.
Then, another girl stepped forward. She was breathtaking, draped in elegance with that specific, glowing look that only a bride has. Her makeup was perfect, but her eyes looked slightly misty as she looked at me.
"Jay-jay... I mean, Luna," she said softly.
I looked at her, tilting my head in confusion. She was the star of the night, yet she was looking at me like I was the one wearing the white dress.
"This is Ella, the bride," Grace interjected, introducing her.
"Oh! Congratulations!" I said, my doctor-smile reaching my eyes. "You look absolutely stunning. Aries is a lucky horoscope—I mean, lucky guy."
"I'm Freya," another girl added. She had a unique, artistic beauty, like a canvas that had come to life.
AN- FREYA AND ELLA THEY'RE NOT HOW THEY'RE IN OG STROYLINE
"Jay or Luna," I said with a smile, shaking hands with Ella, Freya, and Rakki. It felt like I was meeting characters from a story I'd skipped the first half of, but they were all so warm and inviting that I couldn't help but feel at ease.
Then, two older women approached our little circle. They carried themselves with an air of elegance that commanded respect, but their expressions were anything but cold.
"Jay, this is my soon-to-be mother-in-law," Ella said, gesturing to one of them. "Gemma. And her sister, Jeana."
"Hi, Tita," I said politely, extending my hand to shake both of theirs.
But Jeana didn't go for the handshake. Instead, the moment our eyes met, her breath hitched. Before I could even process what was happening, she stepped forward and pulled me into a tight, desperate embrace.
It wasn't a socialite hug. It was a firm, bone-deep squeeze, the kind that smelled like motherly love and old memories. For a split second, I froze
but then something strange happened.
My arms moved on their own. Without thinking, I hugged her back, resting my chin on her shoulder. The heat of the hug felt like a missing piece of a puzzle I hadn't even started yet.
"You're back," Jeana whispered into my ear, her voice trembling so much I could feel it in my own chest.
"I'm here, Tita," I murmured back, not knowing why those were the words that came out of my mouth.
I looked over her shoulder and saw Gemma watching us, her eyes misty as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Even Ella, Freya, and Grace were silent, watching the scene with expressions that ranged from heartbreak to pure, uninhibited joy.
I pulled back slowly, and Jeana held my face in her hands, her thumbs brushing against my cheeks like she was checking if I was actually made of flesh and blood and not just a figurine made of glass.
"You've grown so much," she said, her voice a mix of a sob and a laugh. "My beautiful girl."
"I'm sorry, Tita," I said softly, offering her a shy smile. "I don't really remember... but I can feel that you care about me. And that's enough for now."
Jeana let out a watery laugh, nodding as she finally let go of my face. "It's enough. Just having you here is more than enough."
I smiled, feeling a warmth that definitely didn't come from the venue's air conditioning.
"Jay, please come with us! You have a lot of catching up to do!" Rakki said, her ginger hair bouncing as she practically dragged me away from the older crowd.
I laughed as I was whisked away. It felt like being caught in a whirlwind of silk and perfume. While Ella was off doing her final bridal touches, the girls huddled around me, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
The weirdest part was that I found myself answering their questions like I'd known them all my life. The words just flowed, effortless and natural, as if my subconscious was whispering the answers to me.
"Luna, are you dating anyone right now?" Freya asked, leaning in with a look of artistic intrigue.
I looked at her and shook my head. "No, I haven't found the right one yet"
"I wonder who the lucky guy will be," Rakki said teasingly, nudging my shoulder.
"Yeah, me too," a new voice joined in.
"This is Mica, Jay," Freya introduced.
"Oh, I know!" I chirped, reaching out to give her a quick hug. "We met already—she came with her husband for a check-up! Though I'm pretty sure his symptoms were just an excuse to stare at my office curtains."
Mica laughed, hugging me back tightly
I squeezed her back, then pulled away to look at the group.
"So, no one ever tried to court you in the U.S.?" Ella asked, leaning in. Even though she was the bride, she seemed more interested in my love life than her own bouquet.
I let out a huff, thinking about all the insistent guys back in medical school. "Yeah, many guys tried to court me. Like, a lot," I said. "But..."
"But what?" Rakki asked, her eyes wide.
"I always rejected them," I admitted, shrugging my shoulders.
"Why?" Mica asked, looking genuinely puzzled. "I mean, look at you! You're literally a gorgeous surgeon."
I bit my lip, trying to put into words a feeling I hadn't even explained to Kuya Luan. "I don't know. The guys that asked me out were cute—honestly, some were really hot—but I had this weird feeling inside of me. You know? Like I'm cheating on someone if I say yes. I didn't like that feeling at all, so I just didn't go through with it."
The girls suddenly went quiet. They exchanged these knowing looks, their eyes darting between each other like they were sharing a secret through telepathy. It was that heavy silence again, the one that made my skin tingle.
Rakki, being the fireball she is, decided to break the tension. "So what did you tell them as an excuse? Please tell me you used your 'I'm too busy saving lives' line!"
I chuckled. "No, I was much pettier than that. I asked them what their favorite Harry Potter movie and character was."
"And?" Grace asked, tilting her head.
"They would give me an answer, and I would just say no, telling them that isn't my favorite and therefore we aren't compatible," I said, laughing at the memory of their confused faces.
The girls erupted into laughter, clutching their sides.
"That is so you!" Rakki squealed between gasps.
"Wait, but what is your favorite Harry Potter movie?" Freya asked, her eyes shimmering with mischief.
"Prisoner of Azkaban," I said without missing a beat. There was something about that one—the time-traveling, the hippogriff, and the dark atmosphere—that just felt right.
"Favorite character?" Rakki asked, leaning in close.
I bit my lip, feeling a little heat creep up my neck. I wasn't sure if I should admit it; it was such a cliché.
"What? Say it!" Mica nudged me, her eyes dancing.
"Draco," I finally admitted, hiding my face behind my hands for a second.
The girls erupted into a chorus of laughter, clutching their dresses and nearly spilling their champagne.
"What?! He is hot!" I defended myself, huffing a little. "There's just something about the bad boy with the suits and the blonde hair... and that brooding attitude. Plus, he has that whole 'misunderstood' vibe going for him. I can't help it, okay? I'm a sucker for a guy who looks like he needs a hug but would probably bite your head off if you tried to give him one."
The girls were still giggling, looking at each other again with those annoying we-know-secret-stuff eyes.
"Brooding bad boy in a suit, huh?" Rakki teased "Tall? Intense? Eyes that look like they could burn down a whole city just to find you?"
"Jay, can you please grab me the veil? It's in the dark room. I can't really move—if I do, Aries might see me before the second ceremony walk," Ella asked me, her eyes pleading.
"Of course!" I said, glad for an excuse to escape the teasing. "Don't want the Horoscope Groom to faint before you even get to him."
I started to make my way toward the staircase. The dark room she mentioned seemed to be located upstairs, away from the noise and the sea of silk and tuxedos. I navigated through the crowd, feeling like a secret agent on a mission for the bride.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Guys please leave a review 🤍✨
Tell me how the story is so far — it honestly helps me improve and gives me more inspiration to write 😭💫
Your feedback means a lot to me, so don't be shy 🫶✨